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Applied Recharge Projects <br />The demonstration projects evaluated a range of project objectives and recharge methods <br />including injection, surface infiltration, and land management. Of the 14 total projects, <br />8 projects involved recharge to augment municipal and industrial supplies, 4 were intended <br />to supplement irrigation water, and 2 projects involved generalized recharge that could <br />contribute to existing groundwater uses, but with no definite recovery strategy. <br />Nine of the projects employed either active or passive (gravity) injection wells, one project <br />used spreading basins for surface infiltration, and two projects involved watershed or land <br />use practices to enhance natural recharge. Two projects demonstrated a combination of <br />active or passive injection and spreading basin technologies. <br />Program Sponsored Investigations <br />The program co- sponsored two major independent investigations to gain comprehensive <br />information relevant to the program objectives. These investigations were essential to <br />evaluate groundwater recharge issues that could not be addressed solely by the applied <br />recharge demonstration projects. One of these studies was undertaken by the WSWC to <br />assess alternatives to allocate recharge costs among project beneficiaries, and evaluate the <br />economic feasibility of, and legal authority for integrating groundwater recharge in water <br />resource development projects. Another program sponsored investigation was completed <br />by a NAS committee of technical experts to examine the overall feasibility of groundwater <br />recharge using alternative water sources of impaired quality. <br />In addition, the program provided cooperative funding and support for an independent <br />review of water quality results and issues completed by EPA according to the provisions <br />of the program legislation. EPA technical participants reported on the High Plains States <br />Groundwater Demonstration Program —Water Quality Lessons Learned based on their <br />water quality review and oversight of the 14 demonstration projects. <br />Results and Findings <br />Individual project results and findings are as varied as the projects themselves. Technical <br />issues are often complicated and can require specialized investigations to adapt recharge <br />to the specific objectives and site conditions. Twelve projects successfully applied existing <br />or new groundwater recharge technologies that demonstrated technical feasibility under <br />their respective site conditions. The projects used a variety of water sources, from <br />untreated natural runoff to treated drinking water, and recharged different types of local <br />aquifers from glacial sediments to karst solution channels. <br />Table ES -1 on the following pages provides a brief synopsis of the demonstration project <br />characteristics, findings, and status when the demonstration phase was completed. <br />Executive Summary E3 <br />